2001 HYUNDAI SONATA Power Train Problems

AIRBAG RED LIGHT COMES ON WHEN STARTING THE ENGINE. RESTRAINING STRAP IN REAR-LEFT SEAT DOES NOT ENGAGE.

Mileage: 66,667

I CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AFTER DRIVING ONLY 10MPH, MY ENGINE CRADLE DROPPED DOWN THERE FOR SMASHING THROUGH MY FRONT AXEL, AND TURNING IN BOTH OF MY FRONT WHEELS. NOT REALIZING WHAT HAPPENED I CONTINUED TO DRIVE TO A REPAIR SHOP. BOTH TIRES POPPED. I CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND PAID AN OUTRAGEOUS AMOUNT TO GET A TOW TO A REPAIR SHOP. I WAS WITHOUT A CAR FOR 2 WEEKS WHILE THEY REPLIED MY VEHICLE WHICH COST ME ALMOST $1,300. MY INSURE COMPANY WOULD NOT TOTAL OUT MY VEHICLE BECAUSE THEY SAID IT WAS DUE TO SALT CORROSION AND RUST (WARE AND TEAR). DID I MENTION I WAS ON VACATION WHEN THIS HAPPENED? $$$. NOW MY TRANSMISSION IS TROUBLE SHOOTING SOMEHOW (151,000 MILES). IT'S HAVING TROUBLE SWITCHING GEARS AND IT HITS PRETTY HARD WHEN IT FINALLY DOES. I HAVE TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND TURN IT BACK ON, SOMETIMES THIS HELPS SOMETIMES IT DOES. MY RPM SHOT UP TO 4 OR 5 WHICH BURNS GAS LIKE CRAZY. THE RUST ON THE REAR WHEEL WELLS AND BOTTOM IS UNFIXIBLE. STEERING WHEEL SHAKES REALLY BAD AT SPEEDS 60+. MY REAR STRUTS ARE RUSTED AND NEED REPLACED. *TR

Mileage: 130,000

WHEN I ACCELERATE FROM A STAND STILL,( STOP SIGN, STOP LIGHT, ETC. ) THE CAR FREQUENTLY HESITATES BEFORE IT STARTS MOVING, WHICH MAKES IT DANGEROUS NOT KNOWING IF YOU ARE GOING GET ACROSS A STREET BEFORE TRAFFIC GETS TO YOU. I HAVE HAD THE CAR IN MANY TIMES TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY HAVE FAILED TO FIND THE PROBLEM. BUT THEY HAVE DONE MANY EXPENSIVE REPAIRS THAT HAD NO EFFECT ON THE HESITATION. I SEE FROM OTHER BULLETINS THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 HYUNDAI SONATA. WHILE TRAVELING 40 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHUTTER AND PULL TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE STREET. AFTER INSPECTING, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AXLE HAD BROKEN BECAUSE IT HAD RUSTED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 75,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

Mileage: 75,000

ONGOING PROBLEM WHERE MY CAR JERKS AND THE RPM'S GO UP TO 4-5 BEFORE MY CAR WILL EVEN MOVE IN WHICH CASE I AM THROW FORWARD DUE TO THE GEARS NOT SHIFTING. THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED! *TR

Mileage: 80,000

RE- 2001 HYUNDAI SONATA I WAS ON WAY TO WORK GOING 93 NORTH TOWARDS BOSTON 1 EXIT AWAY FROM WORK WHEN I WENT OVER 3 SMALL BUMPS ON HIGHWAY NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY, YET MY TIRES FELT AS IF THEY WERE NOT STABLE I WAS ONLY GOING 60 SLOWED DOWN TO 30 TOOK OFF RAMP 1 BLOCK AWAY FROM WORK, THEN COMPLETELY STOPPED AT A CROSS STREET INTERSECTION TO TAKE A RIGHT. I PROCEEDED THEN I FLEW FORWARD IN MY CAR. MY CAR STOPPED SHORT FOR A SECOND I THOUGHT I HIT MY SHIFTER IN NEUTRAL OR REVERSE, THAT WAS NOT THE CASE, I WAS IN DRIVE. PUT CAR IN PARK IT MADE A SEARING UNGODLY SOUND I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING. I GOT OUT OF MY CAR JUST AS TWO MEN CAME RUNNING OVER TO HELP ME. WE NOTICED THE TIRE COMPLETELY AGAINST INSIDE WHEEL FRAME. I JUST HAD A RIM REPLACED NOT EVEN 1 MONTH AGO AND NEW BRAKES AND TIRES YET I WASN'T SURE WHAT THIS TIRE LIKE THAT MEANT. I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY I SEEM TO BE HAVING TO REPLACE SO MANY THINGS, ONE RIGHT AFTER ANOTHER, HOWEVER I WAS TOLD AFTER TOWING CAR TO FIRESTONE THAT MY WHOLE CAR UNDERCARRIAGE FRAME SUBFRAME IS COMPLETELY ROTTED AND THAT THE AXLE IS SNAPPED AND MAY EVEN HAVE DAMAGED TRANSMISSION I CALLED HYUNDAI TO PUT A COMPLAINT IN. THEY TOLD ME I HAVE A RECALL ON MY CAR WHEN THEY LOOKED UP MY CAR BY THE VIN YET I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED. THEY SEEMED QUITE CARING AND EMPATHIC TO MY SITUATION, YET THE LAST QUESTION THEY ASKED ME, BLEW ME AWAY. CHRISTINE THE OPERATOR FROM HYUNDAI ASKED ME ONE MORE QUESTION MS.__ WHAT DO YOU PLAN TO GET OUT OF THIS? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? WHAT A QUESTION, I ASKED IF I SHOULD GET A LAWYER, AND WAS IT AN VOLUNTARY OR INVOLUNTARY RECALL SHE SAID THAT HYUNDAI PUT THIS RECALL INTO EFFECTS AFTER THE COMPANY REALIZED AND FOUND THAT THEY MAY HAVE A DEFECTIVE CORROSIVE SITUATION, YET ON THE WEB THEY WERE OBVIOUSLY INVESTIGATED FIRST THEN DID SOMETHING ABOUT IT. SHE SAID RECALLS STARTED IN JULY OF 09 AND ARE STILL BEING ISSUED TO DATE, SHE SAID SHE'D MAIL ME A PACKET TO FILL OUT AND SEND BACK -OH JOY!! CANT WAIT. *TR

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHENEVER SHE DROVE THE 2001 HYUNDAI SONATA WITH 56715 FAILURE MILEAGE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNED ON. THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND SWITCHED INTO THE NEXT GEAR SLOWLY. THE VEHICLE WAS PUT ON A DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE, AND THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

Mileage: 56,718

FAILURE OF TRANSMISSION TO SHIFT, OR DROP OUT OF GEAR AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. TOLD IT IS THE INPUT SPEED SENSOR. COMMON FAILURE ON THIS VEHICLE. *NM

Mileage: 72,000

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTED GEARS ERRATICALLY AND THE VEHICLE OPERATED AT A REDUCED SPEED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THE INPUT SPEED SENSOR OF THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ALERTED.

Mileage: 72,000

I GOT MY CAR IN 2002 IT IS A 2001 SONOTA. WHEN YOU PUSH THE GAS TO PULL OUT IN FRONT OF TRAFFIC THIS CAR DOESN'T WANT TO GO! I HAVE ALMOST BEEN IN SEVERAL CAR ACCIDENTS WHEN I TELL THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE PROBLEM THEY TELL ME NOTHING IS WRONG! ALSO IF YOU LOOK AT THE COMPLAINTS YOU WILL SEE THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON THAT IS A SAFETY PROBLEM IN ITS SELF. *NM

Mileage: 13,000

WE PURCHASED A 2001 SONATA. WE HAD IT THREE WEEKS AND THE COOLANT SYSTEM HAD TO BE REPLACED. NOW,JUST AFTER THE WARRANTY RAN OUT(50000.) WE HAVE TO REPLACE THE SENSORS IN THE TRANSMISSION. THIS IS CRAZY. THIS CAR GIVES US MORE TROUBLE THAN OUR OTHER CARS THAT HAVE DOUBLE THE MILES. I AM SURE THAT WE ARE NOT THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD SUCH PROBLEMS. I BELIEVE THAT IS WHY YOU RAISED THE MILEAGE ALLOWANCE ON THE NEWER ONES. I WILL NEVER BUY ONE OF THESE CARS AGAIN!*AK

Mileage: 62,000

THE CONSUMER WAS GOING ABOUT 25 MPH AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND VEHICLE JUST DIED. THE VEHICLE JERKED TO A STOP, THEN LATER DROVE NORMALLY. LATER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF, AND IT BEGAN TO DRIVE NORMALLY. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, WHO WAS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID THERE WAS NO PROBLEM, BUT THE CONSUMER $135.00 FOR CHANGING THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. AFTER GETTING THE VEHICLE BACK ON 8/24/04, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY MADE A LOUD GRINDING METAL SOUND, THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMED IT WAS THE TRANS AXLE. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THEY WERE GUESSING JUST TO GET HER OUT OF THE DEALERSHIP. *AK *SC *JB

Mileage: 29,100

THE CONSUMER WAS GOING ABOUT 25 MPH AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND VEHICLE JUST DIED. THE VEHICLE JERKED TO A STOP, THEN LATER DROVE NORMALLY. LATER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF, AND IT BEGAN TO DRIVE NORMALLY. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, WHO WAS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID THERE WAS NO PROBLEM, BUT THE CONSUMER $135.00 FOR CHANGING THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. AFTER GETTING THE VEHICLE BACK ON 8/24/04, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY MADE A LOUD GRINDING METAL SOUND, THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMED IT WAS THE TRANS AXLE. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THEY WERE GUESSING JUST TO GET HER OUT OF THE DEALERSHIP. *AK *SC *JB

Mileage: 29,100

THE TRANSMISSION FAILED.*JB

DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED PROBLEM AS PHANTOM NEUTRAL CONDITION WHICH HYUNDAI IS AWARE, NO REPAIR AT TIME. (9/24/02)DT

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED.*SCC

CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE FOR 4 MONTHS AND TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. IT WAS TAKEN INTO REPAIR SHOP, AND MECHANIC KEPT IT FOR 38 DAYS. SINCE THEN TRANSMISSION HAS GONE OUT 3 MORE TIMES. *AK

ON APRIL 28, 2001 I AND THREE OTHER PASSENGERS WERE RIDING IN THE VEHICLE. I WAS TRAVELING DOWN A LONG GRADE AT 35 TO 40 MILES PER HOUR. TOWARD THE BOTTOM OF THE GRADE THE ROAD CURVES TO THE RIGHT AND AT THE BOTTOM THERE IS A TRAFFIC SIGNAL. WHEN I CAME AROUND THE CURVE I SAW THAT THE LIGHT WAS GREEN AND PROCEEDED TO ACCELERATE IN ORDER TO GET UP THE APPROACHING UPGRADE. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE THE ENGINE REVVED VERY HIGH BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO SLOW DOWN. TANSMISSION HAD SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL ALTHOUGH THE SHIFTER STILL INDICATED THAT I WAS IN DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT AUTOMATICALLY SHIFT OUT OF NEUTRAL. I HAD TO MANUALLY SHIFT INTO LOW GEAR. TWO DAYS LATER I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND, AFTER THREE DAYS, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG AND THAT THEY WOULD MAKE NO REPAIRS. ON FRIDAY MAY 4, 2001 I WAS CONTACTED BY THE HYUNDAI REGIONAL SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE WHO TRIED TO CONVINCE ME THAT THERE IS NOTHING THE MATTER WITH MY VEHICLE. HE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS THE VEHICLES "ADAPTIVE LEARNING" FEATURE THAT CAUSED THE SHIFT AND THAT WHAT I EXPERIENCED WAS PERFECTLY NORMAL. I FIND IT VERY HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THE NEW CAR I OWN WAS DESIGNED TO SHIFT AND STAY IN NEUTRAL WHEN IT IS IN A SITUATION WHERE ACCELERATION IS NECESSARY. BOTH THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTUER CONTINUE TO INSIST THAT THERE IS NOTHING THE MATTER WITH THE VEHICLE AND REFUSE TO MAKE ANY REPAIRS. ALSO, ONE WEEK BEFORE THE INCIDENT , MY WIFE AND I WERE ON THE SAME ROAD AND THE VEHICLE DID NEARLY THE SAME THING. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE WAS THAT AFTER ABOUT A SECOND OR TWO OF STEPPING ON THE GAS PEDAL TRANSMISSION SHIFTED ITSELF BACK FROM NEUTRAL INTO DRIVE. PLEASE HELP.*AK

FLOOR SHIFT LEVER WOULD JUMP OUT OF GEAR WITHOUT BEING TOUCHED. IT WOULD FAIL TO REMAIN IN CORRECT GEAR. SOMETIMES CAN SLIGHTLY PUSH, AND WOULD JUMP OUT OF GEAR. BEEN TO DEALERSHIP, AND WAS INFORMED BY MECHANIC THAT FLOOR SHIFT LEVER WAS OPERATING NORMALLY. VEHICLE HAD ONLY 900 MILES. *AK